Enjoying the Journey and Exploring Hilton Head Island - Part 2
Along the journey, I enjoyed gathering up brochures and little souvenirs to remind me of each place we went. Because we were traveling by car, we made a lot of stops to rest areas along the way. I always like going to rest areas, because they are full of so many trinkets!
Some of the brochures I gathered showed different activities happening in each state. Pennsylvania has some beautiful mountains, and Wilson is famous for its whirligigs! By the time we arrived in South Carolina at Hilton Head Island, I was amazed by how beautiful the scenery was, in both my brochure and the world around me!
Along the road, we stopped at a Southern restaurant called Shoney's that had all the classics: macaroni and cheese, collard greens, mashed potatoes, and delicious bread pudding. I loved it all! My favorite parts were the strawberries and cream, which I piled onto my bread pudding. It was just too delicious!
Our waiter was very funny and sweet, too. She welcomed us to the south, and then she said she went to another Shoney's that seemed kind of empty, and she could see why when she realized how bland their food was! It made me laugh so hard when she said it was bland because the people didn't know how to cook soul food.
Arriving at Hilton Head
Once we arrived at our destination, we were able to explore many lovely places at Hilton Head Island, including the park and beaches. While we were there, I was also able to have some delicious food. I noticed that all the food in the south tasted much fresher than the north.
Another interesting thing I noticed is that the South is changing in some ways. In many areas, it's becoming less traditional and more progressive. People are honoring African-American history and the contributions Black people made in southern states, and that was really encouraging for me to see. I didn't feel unwelcome in either of the cities we stopped at in South Carolina.
While I was sleeping in bed, I had a dream about two ladies who called themselves the Southern angels. In the dream, they said, "Don't worry, relax and enjoy the experience here!" I thought that was such a sweet and fun dream.
Once we felt settled in at our hotel, we began to do the work of heading to the tournament site. I was a little nervous, but the tournament director was very friendly, and soon I was getting along well with most of the people there.
When I played my tennis match in the qualifying rounds (I was very lucky and got a wild card!), I didn't win, but I still enjoyed playing. I'm not very familiar with playing on clay - most of the time, I play on hard courts - but I tried my best, even if I got bageled in the end.
My opponent was fun to play, despite the fact that she was much better than me! We laughed and had a good time, and I even won a few points that surprised her!
One thing I learned from playing ITF matches is that there's a huge jump in skill level when you reach ITF events. It's much different from playing local tennis competitions and matches in your area. The players at the ITF level are extremely good! They train and commit their whole lives to tennis, so they have a very high skill level. But because I came into the tennis matches with a realistic perspective on what I could do, I wasn't too disappointed with myself. As I mentioned in my earlier writings on this website, playing the extremely good junior players in my local area made me realize just how talented and hard-working the younger players are! So, that gave me the wisdom to not be hard on myself for being humbled by these excellent ITF players.
The Cruise Trip
After the qualifying matches, we were invited to go on a cruise trip, and I thought, "Oh that sounds really fun! I would love to go there!" So when the day of the cruise came, I packed my bags and headed off to the beach, where we awaited the boat. The beach was sandy and peaceful, and as I looked at the ocean (and watched a family gather together to take a family portrait!), I felt very calm. I realized that the ocean, and everything in nature, has been around so much longer than any of the modern worries that fill our lives. Long after our human civilizations reach their end, the peaceful ocean will still keep on rolling and meeting the shore.
Anyway, for a while, a lot of tennis players, their teams, and a few officials were milling around, wondering how to get on the boat. I asked around, but no one was really sure what to do at first! I thought that was so funny. It was my first time on a boat, so I was just as clueless as the rest of them.
But we finally got on the boat and figured out how to get aboard. Once we were on the boat, off we went! It was a really beautiful sight. Although I had my phone with me, I still took the time to just gaze at the view. I was awed by how beautiful the ocean looked up close, especially as the sun began to set. Although we didn't see any dolphins, I can imagine they must look majestic when they're leaping into the air.
I found two cute companions to accompany me on the trip - a stuffed turtle and a little stuffed dolphin. I thought they were so adorable, and I liked that the turtle was an "Eco pet" which was made of recycled materials.
The only part about the cruise that was a little too much for me was the loud music, especially near the end of the journey. By night time, I was kind of tired, and I wanted to rest. It got a little rowdy near the end as well, because there were drinks on the boat, but overall, everything ended well!
As I left the cruise trip, one of the USTA officials I saw earlier at my qualifying match, a very nice lady, was there, too. She smiled at me and said she hoped I enjoyed the cruise trip. I said, "Yes, I did! I was kind of nervous and I wasn't sure if I should come here at first. But now I'm so glad I came." She smiled and said she was really glad, too!
After the cruise, we headed back to land. On the way back to the hotel, Mr. Stubbs, one of the tournament directors, shared his story of how he began to work at this tournament. It was created by a husband and wife team, the Van der Meer couple, and Mr. Stubbs found a job working there many years ago. He didn't think he was going to stay for so long, but he is working at the tournament to this day! I thought that was a really amazing story.
These kinds of experiences really made the trip fulfilling for me, regardless of the score line or how my matches turned out. I was grateful to just be there and experience everything. I didn't realize it, but I needed a change of scenery, and a real break from the bustle of the city. It was giving my spirit a chance to rejuvenate!
Part 3 will come when I am ready to write again. Thanks for reading the story of my tennis journey down south!
Note: I didn't realize at the time I published this writing, but I learned later today that there's a new documentary out about how we should make cruise trips safer for people. A woman named Amy Bradley disappeared after an unsafe cruise trip, and the documentary has really helped raise awareness about how alert systems could help the cruise industry find missing people. Fortunately, most cruise ships operate under strict safety laws. However, we can always do more to create safety for passengers, and I hope Amy's story helps people build better systems for protecting them.